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Rock powder and biochar are two of the most powerful tools for reversing climate change, especially when used together! Tom Goreau explains the synergies and co-benefits.
Biochar and rock powders can provide major, cost-effective, atmospheric CO2 sinks to reverse climate change through nature-based solutions, or planetary BioGeoTherapy.
These methods produce major synergies and co-benefits when practiced together, but the benefits of each method have been measured in isolation, without positive feedbacks from combination.
The most effective use of each material is mixed together with the other in order to maximize synergies and co-benefits for increasing land productivity and reversing climate change!
Biochar is a carbon store that holds water and nutrients, but those must be added to it, so rock powders plus compost are perfect complements. Raw Biochar is ineffective (see graph below).
Biochar/rockpowder mixtures increase root growth and release of underground respiratory CO2 and organic acids, which further accelerate rock powder weathering that release essential nutrients, which biochar stores and makes available to plants (biochar does hold much bicarbonate).
Biochar and rock powder combinations increase the rate at which climate and fertilization benefits occur and their duration, for both plant nutrition and carbon removal by recycling carbon and nutrients to accelerate production, biomass, biodiversity, and ecosystem services.
The basic rock weathering chemical reaction is:
CO2 + rock minerals = Bicarbonate anion + Cations (+ silica unless mineral is limestone).
Short-term temporary intermediate sinks (such as bicarbonate dissolved in soil water) are often mistakenly called “carbon sequestration”, confusing net and gross fluxes and carbon storage.
Biochar carbon will remain in the soil for a very long time, but bicarbonate will not be stored in soil unless climate is so dry that limestone nodules (caliche) precipitate out of soil solutions.
Bicarbonate, cations, and silica are dissolved and ultimately flushed into groundwater, rivers, and into the sea, which accumulates bicarbonate until the carbon is removed biologically and stored as sediment organic carbon and limestone, which are the long-term sinks.
Rock powder and Biochar used together minimize nutrient and soil loss and maximize Geotherapy benefits to people and planet!
Geotherapy: Innovative Methods of Soil Fertility Restoration, Carbon Sequestration, and Reversing CO2 Increase
http://www.crcpress.com/product/isbn/9781466595392